


Double Dates and Slight Mistakes

by wrappedupinabook



Series: ChasePriceField - The OT3 [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Cute, Dating, F/F, Fluff, Maximum Victory - Freeform, OT3, Polyamory, Romance, chasefield, happiness, pricefield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 01:02:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5027686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrappedupinabook/pseuds/wrappedupinabook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Victoria and Chloe both ask Max to the dance, and Max agrees to a date with each of them before she makes up her mind. She never was very good at making choices though...</p><p>Slight Post-Ep-5 AU where I assume everything ends happily and Max loses her rewind powers. Mostly fluff to tide us over till dark room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Max was trying to cram yet another textbook into her locker when Victoria ambushed her. She'd crept up behind her with the sort of stealth usually associated with actual ninjas, and so when Max had turned to leave they'd been face-to-face, maybe an inch apart. So Max had jumped, naturally. And, being Max, she'd jumped into the open door of the locker next to hers. And tripped. And fallen on her ass. So, by the time she'd got to her feet her cheeks were more than a little red, and Victoria was trying to hide a smirk. 

'Hi Maxine.'

'It's just Max, Victoria.'

'So you say, but Maxine is a little more dignified, and you look like you need all the dignity you can get.'

'Look, if you're just here to insult me then I have to go to class,' Max turned to go, but Victoria reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

'Sorry.' It was so rare to hear the word from Victoria's lips that Max turned back to savour the moment. 'That came out wrong. I was trying to ask you if you were going to the dance this Friday, and to tell you that I would be willing to let you take me.'

'Excuse me?' Nothing Victoria had just said seemed to make any sense. Max suddenly felt very exposed out in the hallway like this. Was this a weird joke? Was half the vortex club going to burst out of the room across the hall and stick a camera in her face to put up all over the internet? Was there something on her face? Victoria seemed to keep glancing at her mouth, did she have food in her teeth? 'Are you, Victoria, are you asking me to the dance?'

'Well there's no need to sound so surprised. You are one of the few people at Blackwell who I can stand to be around, and you're pretty cute you know. When you tone down the whole tortured hipster thing. So, pick me up from my dorm room around eight, and I'm wearing red, so try to coordinate without being matchy. Oh, and wear heels, I absolutely do not do butch.'

Victoria had already turned to go before Max realised what was going on. 'Victoria! Wait!' She managed to hurry down the corridor to catch her up. 'This is really, umm, unexpected and flattering, and you're, umm...'

'Gorgeous I know, continue.'

'But, I'm, I'm kind of already going to the dance with someone.'

'So cancel.'

'Someone I really like.'

'Who?'

'You don't know her.'

'Max, look at me, do you honestly believe there is a single person in this crap-hole of a town that I don't know.'

'She's called Chloe and...'

Victoria cut her off 'Chloe? As in Chloe Price?'

'Yeah, how did you...'

Again, she didn't manage to finish the sentence before Victoria was speaking over her, thrusting her phone into Max's face. 'As in, this Chloe Price?' 

The Chloe in the photo was a little younger, and it must have been taken whilst she was still in Blackwell because her hair was blonde. She was smiling, and squinting a little in the bright sunlight and, bizarrely, surreally, she was being kissed on the cheek by Victoria. 

It was the strangest thing she had seen all week. And this was Arcadia Bay. 

…

Chloe's beat-up red truck swung into the parking lot, only just avoiding adding a new dent to its fender. Max could hear the music from the school steps, only Chloe would blast acoustic jams loud enough to bounce her speakers, but she turned the volume way down as Max approached the vehicle, Victoria at her heels.

'Hey Super-Max, don't look now but you've picked up a crazy stalker.'

'And it's great to see you too Chloe, murdered any puppies lately?'

'No, but the day's still young.'

Max positioned herself firmly between them, trying to keep an eye on both of them at once, it was hard to tell which of them was more likely to start trouble. 'Okay, both of you, try not to murder each other, okay?'

Chloe managed to chime in first, 'I make no promises.' From Victoria's slight pout it was clear that she had been planning to say the exact same thing, but instead she repeated what she had been telling Max all afternoon.

'We shouldn't even be having this conversation because, as we agreed when I dumped you, you aren't going to date anyone who goes to Blackwell and I wouldn't date any of your sad punk rock drop out groupies.'

'You dumped me? Seriously? Okay, if that's what you need to pretend to help you sleep at night.'

'Drop the attitude Price, you were so into me it was sad.'

'At least my mix tapes didn't have freaking one direction songs on them.'

'How dare you bring that up you greasy little...'

'Guys!' They both stopped mid-tirade, both turning to look at Max, 'this is dumb, okay? Chloe has been my best friend since kindergarten, so I'm going to the dance with her. Okay? I only brought you here so you could try and put your bad feelings behind you, because you're both my friends, but that seems like a pretty huge mistake.'

'Listen,' Victoria was addressing Max , but she didn't seem able to take her eyes off Chloe, 'I know she's cute and all, and she can actually be a pretty great friend,' Chloe smirked, 'very occasionally, but she is a terrible girlfriend. She's impatient, and she's lazy, and she's selfish. And she's a total pillow queen.'

'Well maybe if someone didn't feel the need to be in control 100% percent of the time I have the chance to...'

'Chloe!' Max would have been flattered that two girls were fighting over her, if they weren't so clearly trying to settle their own scores. 

Victoria put her hands up in a gesture of surrender, 'Max. Listen. The dance is on Friday. You have all week to decide. Go on a date with me tomorrow, go on a date with Chloe Wednesday. Then make up your mind. I'm confident you'll make the right choice.'

'Max, you don't have to do what this bitch says.'

'Why so defensive Chloe, scared she'll realise you're full of shit?'

Chloe's gaze turned steely. 'Do it.'

'Chloe, are you sure? Because I'm happy to go to the dance with you.'

'Do it.'

…

 

Which is how Max had ended up in the completely weird position of getting ready for a date with Victoria Chase. She'd changed outfit three times already, wishing she had something a little nicer than her standard t-shirt/cardigan/jeans combo. Victoria always dressed like she'd just had a consultation with her stylist, and Max wanted to make a good impression. For some reason. 

She liked Chloe, she kept telling herself over and over in her mind. Ever since they had kissed in her bedroom she'd known for sure. They'd been friends forever, and what could be more romantic than falling in love with your best friend? Chloe was gorgeous, and hilarious, and smart, and kind when she wanted to be. And yet...

Victoria was gorgeous. Victoria was smart. She was interested in photography. She could be a huge dork sometimes, and while she had a bitchy streak a mile wide she'd gotten way kinder after everything that had happened with Kate. Besides, it's not like Chloe couldn't act like a complete ass hole sometimes. 

There was something else too. Sometimes, in the very rare moments when she was alone with Victoria, Max could catch glimpses of a completely different girl to the cold, manicured one who now sat next to her in photography class. This girl was vulnerable, she was more than a little insecure, but she was sweet, and she was funny, and she was filled with regret over all the horrible things she'd done. Max really, really liked that girl. It didn't matter though, she was resolved to get through the night and then tell Victoria kindly but firmly that she was going to the dance with Chloe. 

Her train of thought was interrupted by a curt knock on the door. Realising she had run out of getting ready time, Max got up and pulled it open. 

Victoria looked stunning. Max had had to literally take a step back when she opened the door, and even after the initial shock had worn off she could still feel her heart beating so hard she was worried Victoria would be able to see it through her shirt. Her night just got a little more complicated. 

…

It was a good thing the moon was so bright, or Max would have fallen down the hill they were climbing half a dozen times by now. 

To be honest, this is not where Max had thought they would end up when they had climbed into Victoria's sleek silver Volvo at the start of the evening. Nothing about Victoria so far had screamed 'likes to bring potential dates to the middle of nowhere and then hike up a hill' and yet here they were. In the middle of nowhere. Hiking up a hill. 

'Just a little further,' Victoria said, apparently reading her mind, 'I promise.' Max felt she could hardly complain about the climb, considering Victoria was doing the exact same thing in kitten heels. They reached the top of the hill a moment later, breaking through the scraggly tree line onto a broad, flat expanse of meadow, painted a thousand shades of silver and white by the moon that seemed to hang in the sky like a paper lantern. The view stretched unbroken all the way to the horizon, the lights of the town and school reflected in the still water of the ocean. Max was breathless, and not just from the climb.  
'Pretty, right?' Victoria asked, closing the gap between them and taking Max's hand in her own. Her skin was soft, and their fingers interlocked perfectly. 'I like to come up here when I need to think, or to be alone.'

'Am I not invading your private space then?' Max asked, only half joking. Victoria turned towards her, resting the tip of her forefinger on her lip.

'I think you almost count as private.' Max wasn't quite sure how to respond, suddenly she felt like she couldn't meet Victoria's eye. Glancing around for a distraction, she noticed the blanket spread out at the crest of the hill. 

'Wait, is that a picnic?' She asked, walking towards it, Victoria a half step behind, and spotting a wicker basket. 'Are we having a starlight picnic?'

'What can I say,' Victoria replied, sitting down with a grace that reminded Max of one of the black and white movie stars Warren was obsessed with, 'I'm a hopeless romantic.'

…

The moon made slow progress tracking a course across the sky as the girls sat talking, and laughing, and sipping the champagne Victoria had insisted Max at least tried, and then had a glass, and another, and a third. They swapped child-hood crushes and favourite artists, and Victoria fed Max strawberries that were so fresh that they seemed to explode in her mouth. Max felt happy, and drowsy, and a light-headed in a way she was sure wasn't just from the wine. Victoria was nice. She felt good to talk to, easier than she'd expected, like she'd let her guard down for once. She was telling some story about prep school, but Max was pre-occupied looking at the way the angles of her face changed in the soft light as she talked. 

She had never really looked at Victoria's mouth before, but now she didn't seem able to look away. It was small, and expressive, the corners flashing up or down to reflect Victoria's mood that instant. It looked soft too. In Max's limited experience (Chloe, in her bedroom, Justine Bleaker, at summer camp when they were twelve) girl's lips were soft, but Victoria's looked like they'd bruise like blossoms if she touched them. And she wanted to touch them. 

'Max? Are you listening?' She was snapped out of wondering if kissing Victoria would feel like the champagne had tasted by the question.

'What? No? I mean yes. I was. Listening. Totally.'

'As convincing as that was Caulfield, what's on your mind? Is something wrong?'

'No. Well. Sort of. I was just thinking, if we're going to be fair about this, I should be able to compare you to Chloe fully. Which means we don't just need to go on a date.'

'Really? What else do we need to do?'

'This.' Before her courage could abandon her, she leant forward and pressed against Victoria's lips with her own, bringing one hand up to cup the back of the other girls head. There was half a heartbeat of surprise, and then Victoria was kissing her back, her neck arching to get a better angle and her lips parting slightly. Victoria was soft, but there was something solid about kissing her too, something that felt careful and weighty and right, her kisses had a gravity of her own. Max could smell strawberries and earth and the Jasmine in Victoria's perfume and for a heady moment it was the most wonderful thing she had ever smelt. 

Victoria was kissing her harder now, she seemed to want something more from Max, and Max had no idea how to respond except to mirror her, parting her own lips and running her fingers through the short hair at the back of Victoria's head, trying to find something to grip to stop her slipping deeper into the kiss. That seemed like a good guess, because Victoria responded, gently slipping her tongue into Max's mouth, then pulling away to suck on her lip before leaning in again. She took one of Max's hands in her own and put the other on her waist. The kissing seemed to have a rhythm to it now, a pulse that seemed treacherously slow compared to her own racing heart. Victoria was doing something with her tongue that made Max's breath catch in her throat, and she couldn't help but moan into the other girls mouth, and she felt Victoria smile against her. 

Her hand wasn't at her waist any more, it had slipped under her shirt, and it was moving up, every point of contact feeling like an electric shock against Max's skin as Victoria's fingers climbed her ribcage, taking their time to get familiar with what felt like every nerve ending in Max's body, then gently cupping her bra, a thumb sliding across where the strap met skin and – oh. 

Max pulled away so suddenly that Victoria also leant back, her eye's questioning. 'Max? Are you alright?'

'Yeah. Sort of. No. I don't know.'

'Did I do something wrong?'

'No. Nope. Definitely not. That was really... neat.'

'Neat? Well, that's a first.' Her face grew softer. 'Seriously, Max, it's okay if you didn't like it. I think my ego can take the hit. We can stop if you want, but tell me if there's something bothering you, yeah?'

'It was really great. Like, really really great. I've just never really done that sort of stuff before.'

'With another girl?'

'With another person.'

There was a beat of silence, Victoria was visibly surprised, though Max wasn't exactly sure why. 'Wait seriously? Max I'm so sorry! I'd just sort of assumed...'

'Assumed what?'

'That someone as cute as you had had a little, you know. Romance.' Now it was Max's turn to be stunned into silence for a few moments. She could feel a familiar blush start at her collar bones and sweep up her face to her hairline, and hoped the night's gloom would cover how flushed she was.

'As cute as... me? As in, you think that I'm... umm. Well. Thanks. I mean... you're serious?'

Victoria seemed a little caught of guard by her embarrassment. 'Of course I think you're cute Max. Why else would I ask you out, or go to all this effort to impress you? Seriously, my first date with Taylor was just the drive in and making out in my room, and I still had to dump her for being too clingy. I mean, you're a dork, and sometimes you irritate the hell out of me, and obviously your artistic style is more than a little derivative, but you're definitely cute.' Victoria glanced at her watch, and seemed surprised by how late it had gotten. 'Well, since I've already made a complete fool of myself, we should probably head back. Now help me carry this blanket down the hill.'

Max gathered up the blanket, still more than a little embarrassed, but Victoria took her by the hand and as they walked down the hill together the silence was definitely more companionable than awkward. On the drive back to Blackwell Max was so tired she felt like the car was floating, the orange dots of street-lights blurring into each other as her eyes drifted in and out of focus, but she could still feel Victoria stealing glances at her, and took the chance to steal a few of her own. Seeing the other girl illuminated by the glow of the dash, she couldn't help but remember what it had been like to kiss her, the knots it had tied her stomach into, the soft sounds of happiness Victoria had made that were so unlike her usual cold manner. 

...

When they got to Blackwell Victoria walked Max to her room. They paused for a moment outside Max's door, and she thought for a moment that they were going to kiss again, but all Max got was a chaste peck on the cheek. Victoria obviously sensed her disappointment because she gave one of her half smiles. 'Now now Max, I wouldn't want to keep you up. You've got that big date tomorrow.' Without waiting for a reply, she sauntered down the hall to her own room and stepped inside without a backwards glance. 

Max opened her own door and sank down onto the bed, her head reeling. Tomorrow. Right.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe wasn't late. This in itself was so surprising that Max had only just got out of the shower when her phone buzzed, letting her know that she was downstairs and, apparently 'booorrrreeedddddddddddddddddd'. Max sent a quick ':p' in response, then pulled on her clothes, trying not to think about the butterflies in her stomach. It was ridiculous to be nervous, this was Chloe. Chloe, who she had known forever, Chloe, who she knew almost as well as she knew herself, Chloe, who she had already kissed. Whoomph, butterflies. Max made a mental note to avoid thinking about kissing if she was going to be able to get through tonight. 

She pulled herself into the truck's passenger seat, trying to act like this was just another Max and Chloe adventure. Which it was. Sort of. She could feel Chloe's eyes on her, and there was a brief moment where they both seemed to realise everything that was different about this drive, about tonight. Then Chloe's face broke into one of her easy grins and she instantly relaxed. 

'Woah, Max, you look awesome. Almost awesome enough for me to excuse emojis.'

'You look great too, and you managed to get here on time, which totally blew my mind.'

'Yeah, well, anything for my bestie.' Chloe twisted around in her chair as they reversed out of the parking lot so she could get a clear view through the rear mirror, throwing her arm round Max's shoulder for   
balance. At least, that's what Max assumed, until Chloe turned back to face the road, leaving her arm in place. Max could feel the warmth of her skin through the thin layer of cloth that separated them, but somehow she wasn't nervous any more. She was here, with her best friend, heading out to who knows where. She felt invincible. 

She reached up and took hold of Chloe's hand, 'real smooth there.'

Chloe had the decency to look a tiny bit ashamed, 'you know me babe, I got moves. I got the skills to pay the bills.'

'You are such a dork.'

'Takes one to know one.' She squeezed Max's fingers affectionately, then pulled her arm away to fiddle with the car radio. There were a few seconds of static till she found a station, an old-timey country a western song blasting through the cab. 

'Oh my God. Chloe. No.'

'Come on Max, get into it. Feel the power of the banjo.'

'This is not happening. This is a nightmare, a terrible nightmare.'

Chloe didn't even reply, instead coming in with chorus loudly and off-key. 'Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolleeeeeenneee. I'm begging of you please don't take my man.'

'I'm in hell. This must be hell.'

Eventually, the song ended, and Chloe switched over to the local college radio station, turning the indie-rock they were playing down low so they could talk easily. 'So, umm, how did it go with the Ice Queen last   
night?'

'Good. It was nice. I like hanging out with Victoria when she's not surrounded by cronies.'

'Nice? Sounds like I don't have much to beat. Did you spend the whole time admiring each other's french tips and talking about shoes?'

'No! We... talked. It was fun. We had a picnic on a hill.'

'Snooze.'

'I don't know, I thought it was pretty romantic.'

'And was there hill-top heavy petting?' Max waited a moment too long trying to think of a good answer and Chloe turned to look at her before bursting into laughter that shook her whole body. 'Oh my God! Seriously? With Victoria? In a field?'

'Dude, keep your eyes on the road.'

'No, I need details. Who started it? Wait, who's a better kisser, me or her?'

'Chloe!' Max couldn't pay attention to what her friend was saying, her eyes were on the dark road in front, the approaching traffic. All she could see in her mind's eye was another car crash, another Chloe, another might-have-been reality. 'Please!' 

Something about her tone must have got through because Chloe turned back to the road immediately, just in time to slow for an intersection, but she was still clearly amused by the news of last night. 'Okay, can you at least give me a base?'

'Like, one and a half?'

'Aw, Max is all grown up. She's going on dates, she's letting psycho bitches cop a feel.'

'Lay off Victoria, okay? I told you, she's my friend.'

'I've already forgotten about her, and so will you after the sheer awesomeness that is gonna be tonight.' 

Max sighed and lay back, letting Chloe's excitement wash over her like the car's radio, trying to hold the moment in her mind like she would when taking a photograph. She wanted to remember everything about this, the setting sun, the long shadows of the pine trees, Chloe's long fingers wrapped around the steering wheel, her arms bare despite the chill of early evening.   
From what she could understand of what Chloe was saying, they headed across to Seattle, to a gig held in the kitchen of a guy she called 'Toenail'. It had been a few months since Max had last been to the city, but she began to recognise familiar landmarks by the side of the highway as they gathered speed, the last moments of sunlight painting the undersides of the clouds a vivid pink. 

'I was thinking about that colour for my hair,' Chloe said, gesturing to the spread of the sky behind them, 'like candy-floss or whatever.'

'No way,' Max replied at once, 'seriously bad plan. The blue is so cute on you. Very punk.'

'Aaaay, you called me cute.' Chloe flashed a smile at Max, 'you dork. You liiiike me.'

'Max gave her a friendly shove, but couldn't help but smile in response, 'obviously. Anyway, we both know you're the dork here.'

'Au contraire mon Frere'

'Frere means brother.'

'Whatever, I dropped French in the sixth grade. It's a dying language anyway.'

'Au contraire mon cher.'

'Cher like the creepy singer?'

'It means 'my dear'.'

'And once again you reaffirm your position as chief dork.'  
…  
It was full dark by the time they got to Seattle, the familiar city made new by a thousand lights reflected in rain-water puddles, but there wasn't any chance of them missing the show, despite Chloe's address and directions consisting of a road name. They could hear the bass from two streets away, and as they turned onto Jackson Avenue the sound got more distinct, amplified vocals battling with drums to cut through the quiet streets. 

'What do you think?' Chloe asked as they approached the house the racket was coming from, her arm once again slung around Max's shoulder, pulling her in close to the taller girls chest, blowing a thin stream of cigarette smoke out into the breeze. 

'It's, uh, really...' Max stalled, trying to find something positive about the string of sounds and coming up short. Chloe watched her face closely for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. 

'You are hella easy to make fun of Max. For real. They haven't started playing yet, this is sound check.'

'I knew that.'

'Sure you did, young Padawan.' 

They had to knock hard on the door to be heard over the distortion, but eventually a guy with stretched ear lobes and no eyebrows opened the door. 

'You guys here for the show?'

'Yep and yep,' Chloe said, starting to move inside, but the man held up an arm blocking the door. 

'It's five bucks each.'

'I'm a friend of Toenail's.'

'Then it's ten bucks each.'

'Hilarious.' Max was reaching into her pocket to get her wallet out, anything to defuse the tension, when another man peered out from the doorway. This guy was short, shorter than Max, but he made up for it with his hair, which was bright green and styled straight upwards six or seven inches, like he'd stuck his hand in an outlet. 

'Heeeeeeeeeeeey,' he said, pronouncing every 'e', 'Chloe, my main girl, how have you been? Chuck, let these fine ladies through, it is so good to see you man!' Chloe pulled her arm away from Max's shoulder to take part in an elaborate handshake, then slid it back into place. 

'Max, this is Toenail, Toenail, my girlfriend Max.' Girlfriend. She hadn't really thought of it before, but the word made her stomach flip like a roller-coaster ride. My girlfriend Chloe. It definitely had a nice ring to it, but it felt weird, slightly wrong even, like a cover of your favourite song with changed pronouns. 

'Earth to Max.' Chloe tousled her hair to catch her attention, 'Come in Max.'

'I'm back in orbit,' she replied, 'what did you say?'

'I asked if you wanted a beer.'

'Oh, no thanks.'

'More for me,' Chloe popped the cap of the beer with the ring on her pinky finger and took a deep swallow, before taking Max's hand and twirling her around like a ballet dancer. 'What do you think?'

'It's a kitchen.' It was, an almost completely regular kitchen, except for the stage at one end made from old milk crates.

'Great right? Totally DIY.' More people were piling into the room, all decked out in leather and denim and piercings, and Max felt herself trying to shrink into the shadows, feeling desperately uncool. For a moment she wished she was back in her room at Blackwell, or even back on the hill with Victoria, somewhere private, and quiet, where she didn't feel other people's eyes searching her up and down. There was a reason she preferred to be behind a camera lens than in front of it. 

Then Chloe had her by the hand. 'They're starting, come on, we can't see from back here.' She was pushing forward, elbowing punks left and right till the reached the front, less than a foot from the band themselves. 'Are you ready?' she whispered in Max's ear, and she didn't have time to ask what for before the lead singer stepped up to the mic. He didn't even bother introducing the song, just nodded to the drummer, and suddenly Max was hit by a wall of sound. 

She'd been to concerts before, even some with Chloe, but here there was no barrier, there wasn't even a proper stage, and if she had wanted to she could have reached out and touched one of the pulsing speakers. She felt the music, more than heard it, a raging bass heart-beat that came up through the souls of her feet and curled in the pit of her stomach like a living thing. She couldn't speak, she couldn't even think, there was nothing in the universe except her and the music, till she felt Chloe grab her other hand, felt Chloe pull her back into the world, into the room, into this pulsing shouting mess of people, into her arms. 

They were dancing, Max realised. Not the self-conscious posing she was used to seeing at Vortex club parties, and definitely not her usual awkward head bobbing with her back against the wall. This was something raw and real, nothing mattered except her and Chloe and the music, and at the same time everything mattered, she was bearing the weight of a decade of friendship and they were eight years old again, and they were here. Chloe's body pressed close against hers and Max couldn't bring herself to pull away, till the chorus started and suddenly they were jumping in a wild flurry of limbs. It was breathless, and wild, a beautiful. Just like Chloe. 

…

It felt like only a few minutes, but when they stepped back into the street, the night air feeling like ice after the tropical warmth of the kitchen, Max realised it must be late night. Chloe lit a cigarette, then wrapped her arms around Max from behind and put her chin on her head. 'Girlfriend blanket.'

'The best kind,' Max laughed, twisting round till she was facing Chloe, so close their noses were almost touching. Chloe very consciously pulled the cigarette from her mouth, turning away from Max to exhale, then dropped the end to the ground, crushing it under the heel of her boot. Neither of them seemed able to speak, so Max took charge and leaned into Chloe, closing the last of the distance between them in the space of a blink. 

Kissing Chloe was not kissing Victoria. It wasn't really like the last time they had kissed either, in the bedroom. That had been half a joke, a dare, that hadn't really mattered. This did.   
Chloe tasted of smoke, and of sweat, and of something heavy and beautiful that Max couldn't describe, but it clung to her like Victoria's perfume, and it made Max's stomach toss in a very pleasant way. Max may have started the kiss, but Chloe was keen to take control, lifting her hands to cup Max's face and twisting to press her against the wall of the building. Max pushed back, into the kiss, into the mess of lips and tongue and – gosh – teeth that was everything she could think of right now. Her reluctance, her caution seemed to have left her, because there was nothing about this that didn't feel right, there couldn't be. 

Victoria had been about calm precision, a calculated perfect moment, but Chloe was all movement, her hands scratching at the back of Max's neck and then moving to run down her arms, biting at Max's lip till she gasped, then silencing her with another long, slow kiss. She pulled away, and Max couldn't help but give out a little disappointed moan, but Chloe was already planting kisses across her jaw, the soft hollows of her neck, reaching up to bite at her ear, and soon Max was moaning again. She pushed against Chloe, again, harder, and Chloe pushed back, till their bodies were pressed together like books on a shelf. She still wanted, needed to be closer, needed it like she needed oxygen, needed it like she needed Chloe to keep doing whatever she was doing at her throat that ached and sang at the same time. 

'Alright there ladies?' They sprang apart as if they were spring loaded, both wheeling to face Toenail as he calmly took a drag of his lit cigarette.

'Very,' Chloe replied, taking Max's hand, looking proud, as well as a little bashful. 

'Good good. Don't suppose there's any chance of me joining in?' 

'Yeah, sure, let me just get my camcorder and my furry handcuffs.' Chloe responded, wheeling her and Max around and throwing up the middle finger of her free hand as they walked away.  
…  
There had been more kissing. Pressed against the hood of Chloe's truck, as they waited for a light to change, at the gates of Blackwell. Each time it felt new, like first kissing all over again, and when Max woke up the next morning she spent a few minutes just lying back in her bed, letting the memories wash over her. She was floating, till she remembered. She still had to make a choice.   
At first it seemed obvious. Chloe. Gorgeous, sexy, wild Chloe, who knew her better than she knew herself, who made her feel so excited and so calm at the same time, who pushed her to be bolder, brighter, to be Super-Max.

Every time she felt sure she had made up her mind, though, she would think of Victoria. Would think of how sweet she could be when they were alone together, how careful she was, how she seemed to understand the stuff Max herself was still trying to work out. They had a connection between them, and trying to compare it to what she had with Chloe was like trying to compare a sunset to a song, she wouldn't know where to start. 

Frustrated, she pulled her pillow over her face, sighing into the soft fabric. Choices sucked. Especially now she had no rewind to help her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading so far! The final chapter will be going up the next few days (because I can't play episode 5 until saturday, seriously this is torturous) but in the meantime leave a comment saying who you's pick if you were in Max's position


	3. Chapter 3

'So, how are you going to break it to Victoria?' The three girls were in Max's room, sitting on the floor in a neat triangle, Max halfway between the two girls vying for her affections. Victoria elbowed Chloe in the ribs in response to her comment, then turned her attention back to Max.

'In all seriousness, put us out of our misery, and stop pretending Chloe ever had a chance.'

'You know that stings me. That's left a wound that will never heal.'

'Good.' 

Max took a deep breath through her nose then exhaled slowly. It was now or never. 'I've thought about it all night, and I have to choose both of you. Or neither.' She looked at their shocked faces for a beat, then ploughed on before she lost her nerve, 'I like both of you, a lot, a whole lot, and you're so different, and you both have, I don't know, something I need. So. I want to go with both of you to the dance. And I'd like both of you to be my girlfriends. And... each others. I don't want to be constantly pulled between you two, I want to be an us. Or I could date neither of you. And we can all still be friends. I'd want you guys to be comfortable whatever ends up happening. But I'm not going to choose.'

There was almost a minute of thoughtful silence. 

'I... would be willing to accept that compromise.' Victoria said eventually. 'As I seem to remember, there were parts of dating Chloe that were not... entirely horrible.'

'Well settle down that enthusiasm there Vicky.' Chloe cut in. 'Max, are you sure about this? Because honestly, yeah, that actually sounds not the worst. But you're not just saying that to avoid hurting our feelings, right?'

In response, Max leant forward and planted a soft kiss on Chloe's lips. Then, carefully, she did the same to Victoria, marvelling at how similar and how different the two acts could feel. She was sure now she'd made the right decision for herself, but she couldn't help but wonder about the feelings of the two other girls. 'Okay. Now you two.'

'Seriously?' Chloe asked, rolling her eyes, 'is she as bad a kisser as I remember?'

'Hush it, little Miss bites-everything-she-can-reach.'

'Hush both of you.' Max interrupted, trying her best to give each of them a steely look. With clearly exaggerated reluctance, they swivelled to face each other. 

'Wait!' Victoria demanded, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a stick of gum.

'Aw, Vick, there's no need to feel self conscious.' Chloe mocked.

'It's for you. As I remember your breath always reeks of cigarettes and it's disgusting.' Chloe pouted, but took the proffered gum and slipped it into her mouth, chewing slowly. 

'Now, if you're done stalling...'

Max had expected the kiss to be violent, to reflect the resentment they had for each other. Instead, it was intense, and clearly competitive, the two girls pushing each other to try and get a reaction. Max watched their mouths push into each other, their breath coming short and gasping as they each fell deeper into the moment, trying to maintain their composure and failing totally. Chloe would catch Victoria's lip and pull at it, or tease the underside of her tongue with her own, before Victoria responded with some subtle motion of her own and they fell into it again. Watching, Max felt her face flushing, a warmth flooding her body as the two girls battled it out for... what exactly? She wasn't even sure they knew.

Eventually, when Chloe began lifting at the hem of Victoria's blouse, Max decided that the point had definitely been made. 'I knew you guys could get on,' she managed to say, and the two girls slowly pulled apart, eyeing each other with a mix of hostility and pleasure that Max found oddly exciting. Languorously, Victoria leant back and blew a bubble with Chloe's gum. Max didn't seem able to say anything else. Or move. Or breathe.

'Were you feeling left out?' Chloe asked, a mischievous look in her eye. 'Don't want us to have all the fun?'

'We were just doing as you told us.' Victoria added.

'Vicky, I think we should make sure Max feels included.' Max managed to nod, before both Chloe and Victoria leaned it towards her. Then it was hard to do anything but breathe. Victoria went straight for her mouth, meeting her with parted lips and coaxing her tongue with gentle persuasion. Chloe, on the other hand, was already at her throat, working the skin still marked by bruises from yesterday, sending slow waves of sensation through Max's entire body. She wanted to kiss back, to touch, but there was so much going on, so many hands and mouths and curves of soft skin, ready to overwhelm her at any second, but at the same time feeling as safe and familiar as a lullaby. 

Chloe was at her ear again, whispering to her, 'Is this okay Max?'

'Uh-huh.'

'Do you want to stop?'

'No!' the response was too eager, 'no, please I want... I don't know. Something. More.'

'Well, I'm sure between the two of us we can keep you busy.'

…

The evening of the dance was bright and cold, a low moon hanging in the sky unobscured by the usual Oregon cloud cover. Max and Victoria were standing by the entrance to the Blackwell gymnasium, Victoria irritatedly checking her phone every few seconds and muttering under her breath that she was way, way too hot to be stood up by some blue haired little punk. Again. 

Max was too concerned with trying to keep herself warm. The sleeveless black dress Victoria had eventually convinced her to wear did look pretty awesome, but she missed the long sleeves of her usual cardigan as a chilly ocean breeze sent a shiver down her spine. 'Take this,' Victoria said, catching Max's attention and holding out the woolen pashmina she had had wrapped around her own shoulders. 'I'm not saying that we wouldn't be out here waiting in the cold if you had just chosen me, but...'

The second part of her complaint was cut off as a familiar brick red truck swerved into the parking lot, the windows down and speakers declaring that they 'had a feeling, that tonight's going to be a good night'. Chloe swung out of the door with more than a little dramatic flair, waving enthusiastically at the two girls waiting for her. She hadn't ditched her jeans or converse, but she had found a button down shirt, bow tie and tusedo jacket somewhere and Max had to admit she pulled it off. 

'Heya cuties,' she said, striding towards them, all loose limbs and energy, 'pretty cold out, huh?'

'You're so annoying,' Max replied, kissing her on the cheek.

'Aww, is that all?' Chloe complained, 'come on, momma needs some sugar.'

'Okay, ground rule, no one ever refers to themselves as momma ever again.' 

'Seconded.' Victoria added, 'now can we please head inside before I literally die?'

'Chilly Victoria? That's weird, cause from over here you look pretty hot.'

'That line would probably work better if I didn't want to murder you right now.'

'Worth a shot.'

They all turned towards the music and lights of the dance, Max flanked on either side by her girlfriends. She was the first to admit that the situation was a little... unusual, but it fit them perfectly. Everything felt balanced, everything was going to be okay.

'Hey,' Chloe asked, breaking her train of thought, 'is that kid Warren going to be here? Because I cannot wait to see the look on his face.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it. This actually isn't how I was going to end this but then... episode five kind of... yeah. I'm pretty much still in denial so, you know, as far as we're concerned this is what really happened. Please leave a comment if you liked it, or hated it, or felt it was kind of meh, and have a great day :)


End file.
